We Warmly Welcome You to St. Nicholas Parish
We are the Body of Christ at St. Nicholas. Grounded in our diversity, we gather for worship, cherish the traditions of our Catholic faith, witness to the Gospel of Jesus, minister to others, and live as Christians in the world.
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RMC: Online Voting for New Parish Name
Please fill out the document bellow with your suggestion. After filling it our download and email back to stnicks@nickchurch.org with the subject as "RMC Parish Naming."
English Suggestion Ballot
Spanish Suggestion Ballot
English Suggestion Ballot
Spanish Suggestion Ballot
Introducing Our New Priests
From Blaise Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of the Chicago
Dear Father Lokpo,
Upon presentation by your Provincial Superior, the Reverend Ruffino Exama, MCCJ and pursuant to the requirements of canon law and our regulations, I am pleased to confirm your appointment as Pastor of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish, 806 Ridge Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, effective July 1, 2022 in accordance with canon 969, you are granted the appropriate faculties of the Archdiocese of Chicago for the duration of your assignment at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish.
Dear Father Lokpo,
Upon presentation by your Provincial Superior, the Reverend Ruffino Exama, MCCJ and pursuant to the requirements of canon law and our regulations, I am pleased to confirm your appointment as Pastor of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish, 806 Ridge Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, effective July 1, 2022 in accordance with canon 969, you are granted the appropriate faculties of the Archdiocese of Chicago for the duration of your assignment at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish.
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Father Jean Philippe Koudjo Kunegbodzi Lokpo, Pastor Fr. Jean Philippe, born in Togo (West Africa), was ordained a priest on December 18, 2012, after studying Theology at Catholic Theological Union. He served in the Comboni Missionaries Province of South Africa from 2011 to 2019. He then did a Spiritual Renewal course in Rome and was assigned to the North American Province in 2021. Fr. Jean Philippe speaks English, French, Italian and a South African language. |
Father José Manuel Sanchez Ortiz, Associate Pastor
Father José Ortiz, born in Cardenas in the Diocese of Tabasco (Mexico), was ordained a priest on August 21, 1999. He also studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He served in Mexico (1999-2005) in the Province of Central America (2006-2015), Mexico (2015-2019), Sabbatical in Rome (219-2020). He was assigned to the North American Province from July 1, 2021. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.
A Letter from the Desk of the Pastor
Dear Parishioners,
It is said, “Finding serenity in the process is accepting that things won’t go as planned and will unfold in their own time and that the greatest gifts in life will be the ones worth waiting for.”
My dear people of God, I am very much aware of the excitement and the anxiety about the long-awaited naming of the new pastor (Rev Jean-Philippe Lokpo) and the associate (Rev. Jose Manuel Ortiz) to the parishes of St. Mary and St. Nicholas and for the slow start of the process of the unification of our two parishes and the revitalization of our pastoral activities.
Due to some bureaucratic red tape, the process took longer than expected before being finalized to have your pastor and his associate being officially named. You have a right to feel anxious about the apparent silence regarding the whole process concerning the life of the parish. We get it! And, we really appreciate your patience and especially your wonderful welcome that has been expressed in many ways toward us
Now that everything is in the right place, we are ready to hit the ground running, to start the process of unification and moving forward pastorally in these beautiful parishes, St. Mary and St. Nicholas. We are all in this together and we will succeed by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“A holy moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to Him. You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do” Holy Moments; Matthew Kelly, p 35-36
This is our Holy Moment in St. Mary and St. Nicholas!
God bless you all,
Rev. Jean-Philippe Lokpo
Pastor
It is said, “Finding serenity in the process is accepting that things won’t go as planned and will unfold in their own time and that the greatest gifts in life will be the ones worth waiting for.”
My dear people of God, I am very much aware of the excitement and the anxiety about the long-awaited naming of the new pastor (Rev Jean-Philippe Lokpo) and the associate (Rev. Jose Manuel Ortiz) to the parishes of St. Mary and St. Nicholas and for the slow start of the process of the unification of our two parishes and the revitalization of our pastoral activities.
Due to some bureaucratic red tape, the process took longer than expected before being finalized to have your pastor and his associate being officially named. You have a right to feel anxious about the apparent silence regarding the whole process concerning the life of the parish. We get it! And, we really appreciate your patience and especially your wonderful welcome that has been expressed in many ways toward us
Now that everything is in the right place, we are ready to hit the ground running, to start the process of unification and moving forward pastorally in these beautiful parishes, St. Mary and St. Nicholas. We are all in this together and we will succeed by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“A holy moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to Him. You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do” Holy Moments; Matthew Kelly, p 35-36
This is our Holy Moment in St. Mary and St. Nicholas!
God bless you all,
Rev. Jean-Philippe Lokpo
Pastor
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A Message from Bishop Mark BartosicDear Parishioners of St. Mary and St. Nicholas,
I am very sorry for leaving you in a suspense these last few months: I appreciate your extraordinary patience, too, as we work through some ecclesiastical bureaucratic red tape. I am pleased to tell you that Fr. Jean-Philippe and Fr. José Manuel, two Comboni Missionaries, have received faculties to say all the Masses, and preside at other liturgical functions at the united parish, this weekend and henceforth. It is my expectation that they will be named Pastor and Associate Pastor, respectively, very soon. Please come this weekend to meet them and to welcome them to Evanston. I will be present at the beginning of the Masses to welcome them to the new parish. Sincerely, +Mark Bartosic Most Rev. Mark A. Bartosic Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago Episcopal Vicar – Vicariate II 
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Worship With Us
Thank you for celebrating with us at St. Nicholas Parish. We offer many convenient daily and weekend Mass options at St. Nicholas Church and Chapel, both in-person and online on our YouTube page. Please visit our Mass Schedule page for more information. We look forward to seeing you!
Renew My Church in Evanston
On January 29, 2022, the Renew My Church decision by Cardinal Cupich was delivered to the parishioners of the Evanston parishes and the students and associates of Sheil Catholic Center. Please review the decree in English and Spanish below. Please see our Renew My Church page for more information about Renew My Church and to watch the recording of the decision announcement.
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What's Happening
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Don't miss our weekly newsletter St. Nick's news—everything you need to stay up to date with what's happening at St. Nicholas Parish!
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Get Involved With United Catholic Youth Ministries
United Catholic Youth Ministries (UCYM) is a regional parish-based ministry in Evanston that serves youth, young adults, and families in the parishes of St. Athanasius and St. Joan of Arc, St. Mary and St. Nicholas, and St. Athanasius and Pope John XXIII schools. The UCYM Center and Office are located on the St. Nicholas Parish campus.
